


Karate Star

by Doombly



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Day 3: Culture Clash, Gen, Wholesome Week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-09-18 09:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9378488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doombly/pseuds/Doombly
Summary: Written for Wholesome Week 2017, Day 3: Culture Clash. Star wants Marco to teach her karate. This can only go so well.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long time since I've been a part of a fandom that does fandom events, so I'm going to participate in wholesome week 2017!
> 
> Today's theme is "culture clash" so here's Star wanting Marco to teach her karate!

"Hey Marco!" Star poked her head into Marco's room, where he was bent over stretching to reach his toes. "What'cha doing?"

"Stretching," Marco stood up extended his arms above his head. "I have to keep myself limber for karate practice tomorrow."

"Ooh, can I try?"

Marco froze, a look of uncertainty on his face. "I dunno, I mean last time I tried to show you my stretches you pulled your-"

"I meant can I try karate?"

"Why would you need to know karate when you're already a… ka-hottie?" Marco laughed at his own joke. When he failed to hear any response from Star, Marco quite laughing. Star was just staring at him, an eyebrow cocked as she tried to figure out if the joke was corny on purpose or if she should pretend to laugh to not hurt Marco's feelings. "Yeah… that sounded a lot funnier in my head."

"So will you teach me?"

It was hard to say no to the eager smile on Star's face, but Marco knew he needed to make sure Star understood what she was in for. "Are you sure want to? I mean, karate requires strict discipline and concentration and, no offense Star, but those really aren't your best qualities."

"Huh, what?" Star shook her head, "Sorry, I wasn't listening. I was thinking about spiders."

"My point exactly."

"Come on, Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeee? For your bestie?"

Marco couldn't help but give in to Star's pleas. "Alright, alright."

"Yes!" Star cheered, "We're gonna be karate-twins!"

While Star got dressed with one of Marco's spare karate uniforms, Marco busied himself turning the backyard in a makeshift training area. He had placed foam mats for sparring on, a wooden plank on top of two cinder-blocks to break, and even a pile of hot coals taken from his dad's grill.

The sliding glass door opened, so Marco turned to face it and bowed. "Are you ready to being your training, grasshopper?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Star stood on her tip toes and saluted Marco, army style. She had done up her hair in a ponytail for reasons Marco wasn't sure of. While Star was wearing Marco's spare karate uniform, she wasn't wearing his old white-belt.

"Wait, where's your belt?"

"I wasn't really feeling the karate belt, so I made it into a karate hair-tie," Star explained while gesturing to her ponytail.

Marco frowned and put his hands on his hips. "If you're not going to take this seriously-"

Star held her hands up, "Fine." She undid the karate hair-tie and tied it around her waist. "Ready, sensei!"

"Karate isn't just 'fighting,' its also about honing your mind and body to perform feats of strength you never knew you were capable of," Marco explained.

"You mean like chopping boards in half? I bet I can do that!" Star ran over to the plank atop the cinder-blocks and raised her right hand into the air. "Hi-ya!"

"Star wait, no!" Images of the time Marco had been too over-eager to perform the same feat and broke his hand flashed through his head. Marco ran towards Star but arrived too late, and watched helplessly as her hand collided with the board.

Marco flinched waiting to hear the sound of Star's screams, but they never came.

"Marco, look! I did it!" True to her words, Star had indeed snapped the board in half on her first attempt. She held out her hand, palm open. "Next belt please."

"H-how did you do that?" Marco stared at Star's hand in awe.

"Mewmans are a lot stronger than humans, we can survive being de-bodied, remember?"

Marco scratched his chin, deep in thought. "Hmm, I think we might have to accelerate your training."

"How about the hot coals?" Star suggested.

Normally, Marco would have shot down that idea immediately. After witnessing Star chop the plank in half without any effort, however, he had become just as curious as Star was about what she was capable of. He nodded to Star and they walked over the makeshift hot coal pile.

Marco tried to remember what his own teacher had told him about this lesson, but was drawing a blank. He decided to wing it.

"This is a test of mind over body," he began. "You will walk over the hot coals but you will feel no pain."

"Of course I won't, after I go put my shoes on," Star turned to head back inside. Marco sighed and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"You have to do it barefoot."

"Oooh, okay," Star nodded. "My dad does stuff like this all the time." She walked onto the pile of coals and stood still in its center. "Well that was easy."

"Uh, Star?"

"You were right. All I have to do is think about something else and there's no pain! I'm thinking about spiders again."

"Star?"

"Hey, do you smell something cooking? It's making me kinda' hungry."

"Star!" Marco leaped forward, tackling Star and sending them both hurtling away from the pile of coals.

"Making yourself not feel the pain doesn't mean you're not getting hurt," Marco said.

"So if I stop thinking about spiders…" Star trailed off, then began screaming.

—

Star sat on the couch, her feet in a small plastic tub filled with ice cubes while Marco brought in a plate of nachos.

"Sorry about that, Star. I should have explained things more before letting you try anything." He sat down next to Star and handed her the nachos.

"It's alright. Besides, I'm starting to think that karate isn't for me anyway," Star said in between shoveling nachos into her mouth.

"What?"

"It requires strict discipline and concentration which," Star leaned up to Marco's ear, "between you and me, really aren't my best qualities."

"I said that an hour ago!"

"Yeah, but when you say it, it's a challenge that makes me want to prove you wrong. When I say it, it's me learning a valuable lesson about understanding your own strengths and weaknesses."

Marco smiled and grabbed a nacho. "Whatever you say, Star."


End file.
